Pat's notes: These are delicious tamales made by Margarita Duran who worked at Copia in Napa where I previously volunteered. Her recipe was a winner in a local tamale contest. They're definitely a winner at our house too.
Margarita's Chicken Tamales
Makes 20 - 24 tamales
Margarita learned the recipe from helping her grandmother and mother. She says, "When you make tamales everyone in the kitchen must be happy. If you are sad or angry, the tamales will not cook.” If you don't have help, make the salsa and cook the chicken a day ahead and then make the tamales the next day. Once made, the tamales can be cooked immediately, or refrigerated and cooked and served the next day.
Chicken
8 meaty boneless or bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 head garlic, unpeeled, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons salt
Salsa Verde
8 to 10 tomati11os (about 12 ounces)
1 or 2 Serrano chilies to taste
1/2 cup water
10 leafy sprigs cilantro
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
1 garlic clove
Anise Water
1-1/2 cups water
Reserved tomatillo husks
1 tablespoon anise seed
Tamales
30 corn husks
1 cup manteca (lard)
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) Masa Harina "coarsely ground" (not instant)
1 cup reserved anise water
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt ~ or to taste
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Large pot with steamers, for steaming tamales
Large saucepan and strainer, for cooking chicken
Saucepan, for cooking salsa verde
Saucepan and strainer, for cooking anise water
Chicken:
Combine chicken, onion, garlic and salt in a large saucepan. Add water to cover. Heat to a boil. Skim the foam from the surface. Cook uncovered over low heat, until chicken is tender about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Lift chicken from broth and cool. Strain broth and reserve about 2-1/2 cups for the tamales, and freeze remaining broth. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken in pieces, about 1/2 inch wide.
Salsa Verde:
Remove husks from tomatillos and reserve for anise water (next step). Place tomati11os and chiles in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Heat to a boil; simmer uncovered until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Drain. Combine tomatillos, chiles, water, cilantro, onion, garlic and salt in blender jar. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt, if needed. There should be about 2 cups. Refrigerate covered, until ready to use.
Anise Water:
Combine 1 1/2 cups water, reserved tomatillos husks, and anise seeds in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil; simmer 5 minutes. Strain to discard solids; reserve 1 cup liquid.
Tamales:
About 30 minutes before making tamales, place corn husks in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Put plate on top of husks to keep submerged. Let stand until pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain, stack, and wrap until ready to use.
Beat manteca in large bowl of a mixer unti light, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in masa, then reserved 1 cup anise water until blended. Then gradually add 2 cups of chicken broth until blended. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda, beating well after each addition. Beat on low speed until well blended, to a thick, spreadable consistency.
To assemble tamales: Hold a corn husk or two, if torn, in left hand with pointed end facing outward and straight end toward your wrist. With a tablespoon, spread about 1/4 cup of mixture on lower left hand side of husk. With back of tablespoon, make an indentation in masa.
Add 1 tablespoon of salsa verde and top with 2 or 3 pieces of chicken. Then cup your hand, wrapping the husk around masa slightly overlapping the long ends. Fold pointed end in, encasing one end. The straight end will remain open. Stand folded end down, in a steaming basket.
To steam tamales: Place a coin in bottom of pot and then add water. When water boils, the coin jingles. If jingling stops, add more water. Steam tamales over simmering water for one hour, checking often to see if water needs to be replenished.
Serve hot with additional salsa verde.
Margarita's Chicken Tamales
Makes 20 - 24 tamales
Margarita learned the recipe from helping her grandmother and mother. She says, "When you make tamales everyone in the kitchen must be happy. If you are sad or angry, the tamales will not cook.” If you don't have help, make the salsa and cook the chicken a day ahead and then make the tamales the next day. Once made, the tamales can be cooked immediately, or refrigerated and cooked and served the next day.
Chicken
8 meaty boneless or bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 head garlic, unpeeled, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons salt
Salsa Verde
8 to 10 tomati11os (about 12 ounces)
1 or 2 Serrano chilies to taste
1/2 cup water
10 leafy sprigs cilantro
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
1 garlic clove
Anise Water
1-1/2 cups water
Reserved tomatillo husks
1 tablespoon anise seed
Tamales
30 corn husks
1 cup manteca (lard)
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) Masa Harina "coarsely ground" (not instant)
1 cup reserved anise water
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt ~ or to taste
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Large pot with steamers, for steaming tamales
Large saucepan and strainer, for cooking chicken
Saucepan, for cooking salsa verde
Saucepan and strainer, for cooking anise water
Chicken:
Combine chicken, onion, garlic and salt in a large saucepan. Add water to cover. Heat to a boil. Skim the foam from the surface. Cook uncovered over low heat, until chicken is tender about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Lift chicken from broth and cool. Strain broth and reserve about 2-1/2 cups for the tamales, and freeze remaining broth. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken in pieces, about 1/2 inch wide.
Salsa Verde:
Remove husks from tomatillos and reserve for anise water (next step). Place tomati11os and chiles in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Heat to a boil; simmer uncovered until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Drain. Combine tomatillos, chiles, water, cilantro, onion, garlic and salt in blender jar. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt, if needed. There should be about 2 cups. Refrigerate covered, until ready to use.
Anise Water:
Combine 1 1/2 cups water, reserved tomatillos husks, and anise seeds in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil; simmer 5 minutes. Strain to discard solids; reserve 1 cup liquid.
Tamales:
About 30 minutes before making tamales, place corn husks in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Put plate on top of husks to keep submerged. Let stand until pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain, stack, and wrap until ready to use.
Beat manteca in large bowl of a mixer unti light, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in masa, then reserved 1 cup anise water until blended. Then gradually add 2 cups of chicken broth until blended. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda, beating well after each addition. Beat on low speed until well blended, to a thick, spreadable consistency.
To assemble tamales: Hold a corn husk or two, if torn, in left hand with pointed end facing outward and straight end toward your wrist. With a tablespoon, spread about 1/4 cup of mixture on lower left hand side of husk. With back of tablespoon, make an indentation in masa.
Add 1 tablespoon of salsa verde and top with 2 or 3 pieces of chicken. Then cup your hand, wrapping the husk around masa slightly overlapping the long ends. Fold pointed end in, encasing one end. The straight end will remain open. Stand folded end down, in a steaming basket.
To steam tamales: Place a coin in bottom of pot and then add water. When water boils, the coin jingles. If jingling stops, add more water. Steam tamales over simmering water for one hour, checking often to see if water needs to be replenished.
Serve hot with additional salsa verde.
